The Duke of Kent's rarely-seen grandson has stepped into the spotlight for a major annual social occasion in Paris. Lord Nicholas Windsor's son, Albert Windsor, 18, made an appearance at the renowned Le Bal des Débutantes, hosted at the Shangri-La Hotel on 29 November. Albert looked dapper in a black tuxedo and bowtie as he escorted Eulalia de Orleans-Borbon, the goddaughter of the former King Juan Carlos of Spain.
Eulalia stunned in a plunging embellished gown for the evening with a tiara atop her head as she walked in on the arm of the Duke of Kent's grandson. Eulalia is the daughter of businessman Álvaro de Orleans-Borbón, who is a distant cousin of King Juan Carlos of Spain. During the evening, she took to the floor to share a dance with Albert. Eulalia shared photos ahead of the ball wearing several gorgeous Tony Ward couture gowns in preparation for the ball.
Albert is the eldest son of Lord Nicholas Windsor and his estranged wife, Paola Louise Marica Doimi de Lupis, as well as the grandson of Prince Edward, Duke of Kent and the late Katharine, Duchess of Kent. Albert and his brothers Leopold, 16, and Louis, 11, have kept largely out of the public eye growing up. His social outing at Le Bal des Débutantes comes just two months after he celebrated his 18th birthday on September 22. He was also seen alongside his siblings at his late grandmother the Duchess of Kent's funeral at Westminster Cathedral in September.
© Le Bal / Borde / Moreau / BestimageAlbert Windsor and Eulalia de Orleans-Borbon
Albert Windsor made a rare public appearance as he escorted Eulalia de Orleans-Borbon.
© Le Bal / Borde / Moreau / BestimageAlbert Windsor and Eulalia de Orleans-Borbon
The pair, who both have royal connections, posed for photos together at the ball.
© Le Bal / Borde / Moreau / BestimageAlbert Windsor and Eulalia de Orleans-Borbon
Albert and Eulalia joined a starry guest list this year.
Le Bal des Débutantes dates back to 1957, where it was traditionally held at the Paris Opera. While it was used to be for the purpose of finding a husband, the ball was given a modern makeover in 1997 by Ophélie Renouard and has since been repurposed to empower the young women making their societal debut each year.
Royalty at Le Bal des Débutantes
Albert is not the first royal to attend Le Bal des Débutantes. Princess Diana's niece, Lady Kitty Spencer, notably made her debut at the ball in 2009, and Lady Amelia Windsor attended in 2013. Amelia is also the granddaughter of Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, and the daughter of George Windsor, Earl of St Andrews.
Who attended the ball this year
This year's guest list included Carolina Lansing, the granddaughter of world-renowned designer Caroline Herrera, Eugénie of Hohenzoller, daughter of Prince Albert and Princess Natalia of Hohenzollern, and Almudena Dailly de Orléans, the goddaughter of King Juan Carlos. Also making her debut this year was Bronwyn Vance, the daughter of honorary Academy Award winner, Angela Bassett.
"I love fashion and feeling like a princess, and this seemed like something I would love," Bronwyn told HELLO! Exclusively ahead of the ball. "I also recognized some of the girls who did it years prior and knew if they were doing it, it was a great event."
"Bronwyn has a spirit of graciousness," Angela said. "She is at ease and seeks to put others at ease in whatever situation she finds herself."
The partners of le Bal:
Shangri-La Paris: the hotel venue of le Bal
V MUSE: the jeweler of le BalDenza: the car of le Bal
Laurent-Perrier: the champagne
Dessange Paris: the hairdresser
Château Giscours: the Grand Cru
LuAnFu: the Silk Manufactory
The charities of le Bal:
ARCFA – Association for the Cardiology Research from Fetus to Adult at Hospital Necker-Enfants Malades
Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital
